LONDON (SE) - West Ham United will undoubtedly be looking to pull away from the relegation struggle as they visit the Britannia Stadium to play Stoke City on Saturday morning. Jan Allardyce's West Ham (8-6-13) are six points clear of the bottom three with 11 activities remaining, but the Hammers will undoubtedly be seeking to bounce back from a last-minute beat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Monday night game of the last round of matches. "It was a difficult game and a London derby. We had other possibilities that, if they had gone in, could have managed to get 3-1 and then you definitely will be looking at an alternative game," said centre-back James Collins in a meeting with the club's official site. "It is gutting when you are only minutes from finding something, but we were strong on Monday evening and that offers plenty to us of belief and confidence going to Stoke on Saturday. "We are searching for and onwards. There are more hard matches coming up, but we have a great squad and great team spirit. We have to go to Stoke and give it an excellent go, and I'm we have plenty of in the team to accomplish this. The way we started the growing season showed what we're effective at. We're teaching hard, we desire to win every game and that's no unique against Stoke, who we know will be difficult on their own ground, but I strongly believe the outcome will come.", if we keep playing the way in which we are playing Saturday's hosts Stoke (7-12-8) are three factors above the Hammers and feel that they have just enough to remain out of trouble. Despite a relatively disappointing season, boss Tony Pulis this week thanked his table for sticking by him - at a time when other Premier League managers are not getting the same treatment. "Every boss includes a different relationship with chairmen," said Pulis. "I have had various associations with other chairmen at other clubs to what I have got with Peter Coates. "The connection between yourself and the person who runs the club is paramount to the way the football club actually projects itself. As I'm acutely happy here, a director. Other supervisors are not so lucky." Stoke have concerns over Matthew Etherington (straight back) and Michael Owen (hip), whilst the Hammers have problems over Kevin Nolan (foot), Mark Noble (elbow), James Tomkins (illness) and George McCartney (knee). West Ham have have the worst absent goal-scoring record in the top-flight, and lost four of their last five league games - managing just ten goals in 13 fits traveling. The Potters have gained one among their last ten games, and have found fewer things since Boxing Day (five) than any other club in the Premier League. The clubs drew 1-1 back in November, with the most unexpected statistic of the game being only the single yellow card dished out in the game concerning the two most ordered factors in the Premier League this year. West Ham are winless within their last three games against Stoke.
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